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Contact Info

Statistical software

R, Python, and GIS tools.

Experienced areas

Statistical and bioinformatics analysis, mixed models, GxE interaction, Genotyping and Phenotyping in Plant Breeding. Machine Learning, CNN and Deep Learning. Field performance of UAS-flights. Remote pilot certificate in FAA-USA.

Research strengths

Full experience with remote sensing analysis, drone imagery use and HTP pipelines, Genomic selection and Multi-trait multi-environment models. Machine learning models.

Main

Leonardo Volpato

Precision Phenotyping Postdoctoral Research

Corteva Agriscience - Johnston, IA.
June 2023 to present

Education

Instituto Federal do Triângulo Mineiro - IFTM

T.E. in Technical Course in Agriculture

Uberlandia, Brazil

2009

Federal University of Viçosa - UFV

B.S. in Agronomy

Viçosa, Brazil

2014

Federal University of Viçosa - UFV

M.S. in Plant Breeding

Viçosa, Brazil

2016

Thesis: Selection of soybean progeny for grain yield with the use of mixed models

Federal University of Viçosa - UFV

Ph. D. in Plant Breeding

Viçosa, Brazil

2020

Thesis: High-throughput phenotyping for soybean plant maturity date and wheat plant height using unmanned aerial system

Professional Research Experience

Precision Phenotyping Postdoctoral Research Associate

Corteva Agriscience

Johnston, IA - USA

2023 - present

  • Development of precision phenotyping pipelines.
  • Remote sensing and proximal sensor development pipelines.
  • Precision phenotyping Data Scientist and scientific reports.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Michigan State University - MSU

East Lansing, MI - USA

2021 - 2023

  • Remote sensing pipelines at dry bean breeding program.
  • GxE interactions data analysis.
  • Precision phenotyping using ML approaches.

Visiting Research Scholar

University Of Minnesota - UMN

Minneapolis, MN - USA

2019 - 2020

  • Applied remote sensing approaches in the soybean variety development pipeline.
  • Conducted field data analyses using drone imagery.
  • Worked collaboratively with other graduate students and technicians.
  • Pipeline implemented in R to estimate plant maturity date using HTP/UAS methods

Visiting Student

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center - CIMMYT

Mexico City, Mexico

2018 - 2019

  • Supported the entire remote sensing components of wheat and maize plant breeding trials.
  • Performed drone imagery and software analyses.
  • Conducted missions and collected data for HTP using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS).
  • Pipeline developed for measuring agronomic trait such as plant height, biomass, lodging and biologic stress using UAS.

Intern

Federal University of Viçosa - UFV

Viçosa, Brazil

2010 - 2014

  • Resistance of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis
  • Evaluation of tropical maize (Zea mays L.) lines fornitrogen use efficiency
  • Selection within andbetween families of ornamental pepper (Capsicum spp.)

Professional/Academic Experience

AgroPlan-UFV - Junior Enterprise Agronomy

Federal University of Viçosa - UFV

Viçosa, Brazil

2011 - 2012

Teaching assistant in Agriculture Entomology

Federal University of Viçosa - UFV

Viçosa, Brazil

2013 - 2014

Regulation of seeds and seedlings, Intern

Federal Agriculture, Livestock and Supply - MAPA

Viçosa, Brazil

2014

Academic group coordinator

GenMelhor-UFV - Study Group of Genetics and Breeding

Viçosa, Brazil

2015 2017

Remote assistance phenotyping

Celeiro Sementes - Pipeline developed to implement phenotyping approaches in the soybean breeding program

Piaui, Brazil

2021 - 2022

Selected Publications

Selection of inbred soybean progeny: an approach with population effect.

Volpato, L.; Simiqueli, G.F.; Alves, R.S.; Rocha, J. R. A. S. C.; Del Conte, M. V.; Resende, M. D. V.; Carneiro, P. C. S.; Silva, F. L. Plant Breeding, v. 138, p. i-iv, 451-672.

N/A

2018

A. Multi-trait multi-environment models in the genetic selection of segregating soybean progeny.

Volpato, L; Alves, R.S.; Teodoro, P.E.; Resende, V. M. D.; Nascimento, M.; Nascimento, A. C. C.; Ludke, W.H.; Lopes, S. F. PLoS One, v. 14, p. e0215315.

N/A

2019

SNP markers associated with soybean partial resistance to Phytophthora sojae.

Ludke, W. H.; Schuster, I.; Nora, T. D.; Oliveira, A. B.; Soares, B. A.; Volpato, L.; Silva, F. L. Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology, v. 19, p. 31-39

N/A

2019

Inference of population effect and progeny selection via a multi-trait index in soybean breeding.

Volpato, L.; Rocha, J. R. A. S. C.; Alves, R. S.; Ludke, W. H.; Oliveira, A. B.; Silva, F. L. Acta Scientiarum. Agronomy, v. 43, p. 10.4025/actasci.

N/A

2020

High Throughput Field Phenotyping for Plant Height Using UAV-Based RGB Imagery in Wheat Breeding Lines: Feasibility and Validation.

Volpato, L.; Pinto, F.; González-Pérez, L. ; Thompson, I. G. ; Borem, A.; Reynolds, M.; Gérard, B.; Molero, G.; Rodrigues, F. A. Frontiers in Plant Science, v. 12, p. 591587.

N/A

2021

High Throughput Field Phenotyping for Plant Height Using UAV-Based RGB Imagery in Wheat Breeding Lines: Feasibility and Validation.

Volpato, L.; Dobbels. A.; Borem, A,; Lorenz, A. J. The Plant Phenome J.,10.1002/ppj2.20018.

N/A

2021

Genomic selection with rapid cycling: Current insights and future prospects.

Volpato, L.; Bernardeli, A.; Gomez, F. Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology. 21(S): e394721S14.

N/A

2021

A Retrospective Analysis of Historical Data of Multi-Environment Trials for Dry Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Michigan.

Volpato, L.; Gomez, F.; Wright E. Crop Science. 10.1002/csc2.21184.

N/A

2023

Drone-Based Digital Phenotyping to Evaluating Relative Maturity, Stand Count, and Plant Height in Dry Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) .

Volpato, L.; Wright, E.; Gomez, F. In press. Plant Phenomics.Preprint at: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3160633/v1

N/A

2024

Selected Award

National Association of Plant Breeding (NAPB) early career award - Ames, Iowa.

NAPB Graduate Student Poster Competition titled “Estimation of stand count in dry beans using high resolution imagery: feasibility and validation”.

N/A

2022

Language

Portuguese

Native

N/A

N/A

English

Fluent

N/A

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Spanish

Working knowledge

N/A

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